Pile fabric



NOV- 3, 1964 D. FRISHMAN 3,154,934

v y PILE FABRIC Filed Oct. 27. 1960 Fis. Z

IN V EN TOR.

DAN/EL 5v5/mall [mr/ez WM5 FWHM United States Patent O 3,154,934 PELE FABRIC Daniel Fr'nhman, Andover, Mass'. (%4 Malden Ltd., 46 Stafford St., Lawrence, Mass.) Fiied Oct. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 65,510 s eifrims. (ci. 615-194) The present invention relates to a stretchable pile fabric and garments made of such fabric.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel fabric material and more particularly tol a pile fabric having a high degree of stretchability and recovery.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a stretchable pile fabric in which the fabric is adapted toY stretch at least 25% in any direction and in which the cover formed by the pile is not lost when the fabric is stretched -to its maximum position.

A further object of the present invention is Ito provide a stretchable pile fabric adapted to be formed into garments wherein the pile cover has a substantial uniform appearance, even in stretched portions of the garment.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a stretchable pile fabric for use in garments in which the fabric has a high degree of recovery.

In the present invention there is provided a stretchable pile fabric having a fabric backing formed of knit or woven elastomeric, stretch or`spandex type yarns, thereby providing a backing having a high degree of elasticity.

The pile is preferably formed of staple fibers having low elongation with these fibers intertwined with the fabric backing. The staple fibers forming the pile are preferably intertwined or twisted in areas immediately above the yarns forming the fabric backing but are separated at their free ends.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a garment in the form of a sweater made of stretchable material formed in accordance with the present invention, and,

FIG. 2 represents a greatly enlarged schematically cross section of stretchable pile fabric formed in accordance with the present invention.

ri`he present invention comprises a fabric backing l@ and a pile 11 illustrated in a preferred form in FIG. 2. The fabric backing l is preferably formed as a knitted fabric but if desired may be formed as a woven fabric. The fabric is formed of any suitable yarn, elastomeric yarn or a spandex fiber, or other suitable and similar yarn or fibers. Stretch yarns which have been found satisfactory for the present invention are sold commercially as Helanca yarn of .the Heberlein corporation, New York; Agilon of the Deering M-iliken Research Corporation of Pendelton, South Carolina; Saaba Yarn of Leesona Corporation, Providence, Rhode Island; and Taslan of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware.

Spandex type yarns which are satisfactory are made under the trade name Vyrene by the United States Rubber Company, and Lycra of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.

The yarn which is used should have a relatively high degree of recovery as Well as high elongation. As used herein, yarns having a high elongation and recovery, are yarns of the type defined and illustrated above and in which yarn or fiber is capable of being repeatedly stretched to at least 1% times its original length and upon release of the stress vll return with force to ap- ICC of the staple fibers forming' the pile preferably should be betwenk 7 and 18, ounces per square'yard; where the pile height is 0.6, the weight ofthelstapleiibers fr )rmingV the pile preferably should be between l() and` '2.5 Ouncesv per square yard; Yand wherethe pile height `:is 1.0'the weight of the staple fibers forming the pile preferably should be between 15 and 32 ounces per square yard.

` The pile fibers should be formed as loops with the bights of said loops interlockedlwith said hacking and with said fibers intertwined ormatted at their "base as illustrated at 13 and relatively unmatted or unentangled closer to their upper free ends, as illustrated ait` 14, This arrangement providesk a uniform and unbroken cover even while the fabric' is stretched, and in addition improves the recovery of the fabric. 'The pile should also be formed of fibers that are relatively tough; that is, the fbersshould have a high degree of resistancek to deformation.

The fabric may be formed by various suitable means,

For example, a sliver of suitable pile fibers may be fed into a WildmanSvliverKnitting Machinein a conventional maner while the yarn of the type described is being knitted on the machine as a fabric backing. During th? knitting process however, the' yarn should be knit with a tension'of substantially no more than three grains'.J

Minimizing tension while the fabric backing 4is being formed and treated is important in order to maintain maxmum stretch and recovery of the fabric. However it is impossible to completely avoid stretch or tension during the knitting and subsequent processes in the formation of the fabric and therefore, it is necessary to relax the yarn in the fabric backing. This may be done in several ways. After the pile fabric is brushed, sheared and electrified in a conventional manner it may be tumbled in a tumble dryer, either dry or under the influence of heat or steam. Alternately moist heat may be applied to the fabric while the fabric is overfed on a tenter frame into a dryer. These steps relax the yarn of the fabric backing.

It has been found that the application of pile to a stretch fabric backing in the manner set forth above does not substantially impair the stretch or elongation of the fabric backing, but does in fact substantially increase its recovery. It is not altogether clear as to why this occurs. It may be due to the fact that the pile fibers have engaged and prestretched the yarn forming the fabric backing over limited areas so that with respect to the yarn forming the fabric backing, it is in a region of greater recoverability. That is, since the ratio of elongation to load is non-linear in elastic fabrics (with the rate of elongation decreasing with increased load), and since attachment of pile fibers to a fabric backing initially elongate portions of the yarn forming the fabric backing, the recoverability of the fabric backing is increased. This is obtained despite the fact .that the yarn is knitted into the fabric backing under relaxed condition and with minimum tension.

It is also interesting to note that because of the bulk of the stretch yarn and the high coefficient of friction between the pile fibers and the stretch yarn, the pile fibers are gripped relatively tightly in the fabric back and there- Patented Nov. 3, 1964r fore can be submitted to the usual finishing Without loss of fibers, even though the fabric backing is susceptible to being stretched.

In FIG. l there is illustrated a sweater made with the material described. Since the pile imparts excellent cover even when the fabric is stretched and since the fabric may be stretched in local areas it is not necessary as illustrated to make garments full fashion, nor is it necessary to make garments to a particular numbered size.

What is claimed is:

l. A stretchable pile fabric comprising a fabric backing formed of yarn of between 200 and 900 denier and capable of being stretched to at least approximately one and one half times its original unstretched length having a high elongation and recovery said yarn being substantially relaxed when said fabric is in an unstretched condition and a pile formed on said backing of a multiplicity of uniformly distributed staple fibers formed as loops with the bights of said loops interlocked with said backing and the free ends of sad loops extending angularly from the plane of said backing.

2. A stretchable fabric comprising a fabric backing formed of an elastic filament yarn of between 200 and 900 denier and capable of being stretched 4to at least approximately one and one half times its original unstretched length having a high elongation and recovery said yarn being substantially relaxed when said fabric is in an unstretched condition and a pile formed on said backing of a multiplicity of uniformly distributed staple bers of low elongation, formed as loops with the bights of said loops interlocked with said backing and the free ends of said loops extending angularly from the plane of said backing said pile having a height of between 0.3" and 1.0 and with the staple fibers forming said pile Weighing between 7 and 32 ounces per square yard, whereby said pile forms a visually impervious cover when said backing is stretched and unstretched.

3. A stretchable pile fabric comprising a fabric backing formed of yarn of between 200 and 900 denier and capable of being stretched Ito at least approximately one and one half times its original unstretched length having high elongation and recovery and a pile formed on said backing of a multiplicity of staple fibers formed as loops with the bights of said loops interlocked with the stitches forming said fabric backing and with said pile fibers matted and twisted together in portions immediately above said fabric backing and relatively nonmatted at the free ends of said pile fibers at the surface of said pile.

4. A stretchable pile fabric comprising a knit fabric backing formed of a stretchable yarn having high elongation and recovery said yarn being substantially relaxed when said fabric is in an unstretched condition and a pile formed on said backing of a multiplicity of uniformly distributed staple fibers formed as loops with the bights of said loops interlocked with the stitches forming said fabric backing and with said pile fibers matted and twisted together in portions immediately above said fabric backing and relatively nonmatted at the free ends of said pile fibers thereby forming said pile as a cover visually impervious when said backing is stretched and unstretched.

5. A garment formed of material set forth in claim 4.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,280,536 Moore Apr. 21, 1942 2,705,880 Kinzinger et al. Apr. 12, 1955 2,737,702 Schmidt et al Mar. 13, 1956 2,815,558 Bar-tovics et al Dec. 10, 1957 3,021,698 Hill Feb. 20, 1962 3,023,596 Hill Mar. 6, 1962 OTHER REFERENCES British specification 513,569, of 1939, 

1. A STRETCHABLE PILE FABRIC COMPRISING A FABRIC BACKING FORMED OF YARN OF BETWEEN 200 AND 900 DENIER AND CAPABLE OF BEING STRETCHED TO AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY ONE AND ONE HALF TIMES ITS ORIGINAL UNSTRECTCHED LENGTH HAVING A HIGH ELONGATION AND RECOVERY SAID YARN BEING SUBSTANTIALLY RELAXED WHEN SAID FABRIC IS IN AN UNSTRETCHED CONDITION AND A PILE FORMED ON SAID BACKING OF A MULTIPLICITY OF UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED STGAPLE FIBERS FORMED AS LOOPS WITH THE BIGHTS OF SAID LOOPS INTERLOCKED WITH SAID BACKING AND THE FREE ENDS OF SAID LOOPS EXTENDING ANGULARLY FROM THE PLANE OF SAID BACKING. 